1
as in binding
to confine or restrain with or as if with chains unwilling to shackle the dogs to the wall of the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hampering
to create difficulty for the work or activity of shackled by poverty and ignorance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shackling The Baltimore region has suffered too long from underinvestment in transit services — which is shackling economic growth, harming the environment and constraining quality of life for families. —
Brandon Scott, Baltimore Sun, 25 Feb. 2026 Men are often the ones in those ICE facilities who are shackling and chaining detainees. —Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 7 Feb. 2026 In Wisconsin, a bill that would restrict shackling inmates while in labor — something most states already ban — has repeatedly failed to pass the state Legislature. —Jon Schuppe, NBC news, 18 Dec. 2025
Brandon Scott, Baltimore Sun, 25 Feb. 2026 Men are often the ones in those ICE facilities who are shackling and chaining detainees. —Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 7 Feb. 2026 In Wisconsin, a bill that would restrict shackling inmates while in labor — something most states already ban — has repeatedly failed to pass the state Legislature. —Jon Schuppe, NBC news, 18 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shackling
Verb
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Fearing the worst, the non-profit Ocracoke Foundation took out loans to buy the buildings and adjacent docks, then set a goal to have legally-binding historic preservation agreements put in place.— Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 16 Apr. 2026
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City departments will be tasked with meeting many of the goals, and the City Council could adopt some of them as binding policy, Sutley said.— Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Saudi Arabia’s crucial energy infrastructure suffered a series of strikes, hampering its oil and gas production and exports, even as crude prices climbed.— Bloomberg, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
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Brian Hooker reported his wife missing on Sunday, April 5, saying she had been swept away from a dingy which lost power the night before, hampering his ability to seek help.— Cristian Benavides, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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LeBron James, in his record-tying 19th postseason, is the Lakers’ most influential player this postseason.— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
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Mike Trout played his 1,366th game in center field for the Angels, tying Jim Fregosi (1,366 games at shortstop) for the most in franchise history at one position.— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In January, Geren notified more than 50 of the 62 Democrats that each owes $9,200 in fines and other charges for impeding the progress of the House by not showing up in the Capitol last August as lawmakers deliberated a plan to overhaul the state's congressional map.— John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 9 Apr. 2026
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Miller's family members openly accused then-sheriff Marion Joe Russell of impeding the investigation, as Nipp was Russell's nephew.— Jessie Christopher Smith, Oklahoman, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After handcuffing Woods, authorities searched his pockets and found two white pills.— R.J. Rico, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
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The video sees one officer remove cash, a pair of AirPods, and pills from his pocket during the search before handcuffing him.— Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Moving forward, lawmakers should identify aspects of recent reforms that are hindering their intended purpose of increasing housing, while continuing to advance land-use liberalization across the state.— Eliza Terziev, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
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Through the fall and winter, as the Justice Department demanded that states turn over confidential voter roll information, Team America worked to solve problems hindering the use of digital tools to comb the lists for noncitizens who had illegally registered to vote.— Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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From corrective eye surgery to confining plasma for nuclear fusion research and from entertainment to quickening checkout at supermarkets, lasers are now part of our everyday lives.— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2026
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Certain signs, such as the recent decree by the municipal authorities of Damascus confining the sale of alcohol to Christian neighborhoods, are ominous.— Alvaro Vargas Llosa, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Russian sage adds both height and texture to gardens without obstructing the view of the plants behind it, thanks to its airy appearance.— SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 16 Apr. 2026
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Joshua Mills, 32, was sentenced Thursday to five to 20 years in prison on one count of assault with intent to do great bodily harm and received an additional two to four years for two counts of resisting, obstructing or assaulting a police officer and one year for second-degree retail fraud.— Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shackling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/shackling. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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